Sky's the limit
by Drrrraco Malfoy Potter
Summary: Skye has a secret. If it gets out, she could lose her place on the team. But not going lower...going higher. After one of the team finds out, Skye is shot and Gordon decides to take her to Afterlife a little early. They have to get her back, but when you dig deeper, you don't always find what you expect. Don't own anything (sadly). StaticShock!
1. Chapter 1

Skye's brain was racing at a million miles per hour, her eyes flicking across the computer screen with ease. She barely thought about what she was doing, but for some reason, it came. Text, ideas…it would have been overwhelming, but she was used to it.

Her eyes drifted over at the clock, and smiled as she saw that ten minutes had passed. Even though she wasn't looking, her fingers whisked across the keyboard, typing the words she had written so many times. * Her computer gave a little noise, and a page popped up;

Paul's Plants' Nursery. Please type in username and password.

Skye smirked, knowing the page was just a front, and looked back at the clock. Another thirty-three minutes, and she was in. The entirety of S.H.E.I.L.D. servers at her disposal. Skye cracked her knuckles, a grin suddenly growing on her face. _Finally_.

She got up, looking around nervously, and grabbed her coffee mug. She had just hacked into one of the most secure servers in the world. This was, like, criminal level. After rubbing her eyes a couple times, Skye picked up her coffee mug and walked back to her desk. Or tried to, anyway. her knee hit a small table, and she let out a gasp of pain and dropped the coffee mug on it.

"Damn!" Skye snapped at no one in particular, and started cleaning up the shards with a towel. Her eyes rested on the table, which consisted of a small two by two foot table with three drawers.

Skye's normally hyperactive brain stopped. She had told herself this was the past, but she couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she dared a look for the thousandth time. Inside was proof, proof she wasn't normal. Proof she was a freak. Her eyes flickered onto the contents of the slightly open drawer, before slamming it shut, the image burned into her mind. Again.

Five majors.

Two PhDs.

Results of six different IQ tests; 206

All with the same name; Skye.

* * *

Day One:

"Skye. Skye, are you with me?"

Skye's brain was jolted out of the old memory, and her eyes fixed on Coulson. His eyebrow was ever-so-slightly raised, meaning she had probably been spacing out for thirty seconds or so. Thirty seconds was enough to remember.

"Yeah, I'm with you. Just…thinking." Skye's eyes flickered towards the map on the screen, watching the thermal sensors blink on and off. "So…um…how is Simmons doing? I mean, she just came back, so…"

Coulson nodded. "I'd actually like you to help Fitz with the hard drive she retrieved, gather intel. And, Skye," Coulson allowed a half-smile. "Try not to make the rest of us feel _too_ bad about our hacking skills this time."

Skye nodded, flinching at the bang as Fitz slammed his fist on the table, falling backwards into his chair, his eyes fixing on Skye as she walked in. "Finally. Well, there's—a—um, a—problem with the…the computer. It's not right with the…uh…." Fitz tapped the table impatiently.

"Hardware?" Skye guessed.

"Yes! Yes. Hardware. Yes."

Skye pulled up a chair, and although she kept her eyes fixed on the screen, her ears were focused on Fitz's mumbling. It had been a while since…the accident…had occurred, and to her surprise, Simmons' return had only made it worse. But as she listened, she realized he wasn't talking to someone else, he was talking to himself. Before Simmons had arrived, he muttered like he was speaking to a person, but now…Fitz was the mystery Skye couldn't solve. His best friend made him worse, interaction made him talk to himself instead of someone else in his head…and most of all, he acted as if he desperately needed help, but also desperately needed everyone to leave him alone.

"Here. Try plugging it in to my laptop." Skye picked up the flash drive and brought it to the other side of the lab, where she put in into the little slot on the side of her computer. It flashed once, 'trust this device?'. As she clicked yes and selected it in Finder, she groaned as file after file popped up, ringing through the lab. Skye quickly turned down the volume.

"What was that?" a soft voice mumbled, almost not wanting to be heard. Skye turned to find Jemma shut the door, before walking to look at Skye's laptop, glancing at Fitz nervously, who harshly turned away and muttered to himself again. Jemma sat down quietly, with a "How's it going?"

Skye shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. "Okay, I guess. I'll transfer the files to Fitz, and then we can review them. Anything deeply important you want us to see, while we're at this?"

Jemma thought for a moment. "Well, possibly… Check number 49. I don't know quite what it is, but I couldn't open it."

"Yeah, one sec…I'll just…"

"Actually, I can do it if you like. You don't have to…I mean…I'd like it."

Skye took the hint very obviously, glancing from Fitz to Simmons and mouthing 'Ohhhh.' before gathering up her laptop after transferring the file to Fitz. They worked quietly for a moment, before Fitz turned and said something. She could hear Simmons talking from outside, and could barely make out what she said. "The drive was damaged during our escape. We'll have to repair it to access any of its i-intel." she faltered, noticing Fitz was staring. "What?"

Fitz shook his head. "Just..um..you look different, that's all."

"Oh."

"…okay…" Fitz took the flash drive and turned away quickly, so Skye couldn't hear the first part of what he said. "…to first look at the, uh—"

"The shock sensor."

"Um, no, the, uh—"

"Voice actuator?"

"No, um, Jemma, can you—"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"No, you said you needed my help, so uh—oh, it's this, here. This, this—micro thingy—right here." Fitz pointed to it, motioning for Jemma to finish his sentence.

"Oh…I see. I see that." Jemma took a breath, and swallowed hard. "How about I…just leave you to in then." she put on such an obvious fake smile, and ducked out of the room. Skye hesitated for a moment, before going in, watching Fitz fiddle with the drive and sitting down next to him.

Fitz didn't look up, but continued to mutter things, not even realizing Skye was there. "Yes, I kn—no, it's this one. We have to…yes, recalibrate the, um…no, don't say it. Word, what's the word, yes. Yeah, that's it. Why are you—no, not that. I do, but—no, no, no! Stop! No, you can't. I won't let you—of course I want to, but it's crazy." Fitz suddenly stood up and banged his fist on the table. "Shut up! You're not even real!"

"Fitz…are you okay?" Skye put one hand on his shoulder.

Fitz jumped, looking startled, his face red. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just—I hate it that I'm the only one they treat this way. I hate it that I'm different."

 _Fitz…me too. Help._

 _"_ And Jemma…she changed." Fitz sat back down again, "It's so—so—"

"Frustrating." Skye breathed. "Fitz, I…"

"Don't say sorry. I hate it. I know something's not right with my head."

"No…Fitz….you're not the only different one." Skye's hands were shaking, barely able to believe she had said the words.

Fitz looked up at her, comprehending what she was saying, his eyes wide. "Skye…what's going on?" his tone was warning and scared as she slowly undid the screws on the bottom of her laptop. Fitz studied the papers that spilled out, his expression unreadable, before slowly looking at Skye in pure shock, his brain slowly understanding what it was. Skye collapsed back into her chair, the full force hitting her for the first time in a long while, choking on the words. "Something's not right with my head, either."

* * *

Skye's heart was beating way to fast to really concentrate on the mission, but she got the gist of it. File 49 was transmissions from the Hydra cover to a warehouse in LA, and they were there to check it out. It was a three-story building, with no basement. The S.H.I.E.L.D. car was parked outside, and it was eerily quiet. Experience had taught Skye that quiet never meant good things.

Clutching her gun in her hand, Skye silently creeped around the edge of the staircase. Coulson, May, Mack, Bobbi, and Hunter were all there too, and Coulson gave the signal to split up. Searching the hallways wasn't fun, but Skye was on alert for the slightest noise. Her ears perked up at a slight breath from behind a wall, and she turned and saw a person's shadow behind it. Jumping out from behind the corner, she kicked the Hydra agent's legs out from under them, and slammed their face into the wall, twisting the gun out of their hand.

Running on adrenaline, Skye sprinted towards the staircase, trying to run for the roof. Two Hydra agents cut her off, and she ducked behind a doorway, shooting from behind it. Bullets whizzed past her face, and panic shot through her as the gun in her hand clicked madly, out of things to shoot. The bullets stopped. Skye stayed frozen, barely breathing, and in a split-second decision decided to risk her chances, leaping out from behind the crevice. The rain of shots started again, but Skye's vision was too clouded with panic to notice. She turned…maybe to see what happened…and barely saw it coming.

Agony ripped apart her body, tearing through her stomach. It was nearly identical to Ian Quinn, but a hundred times more painful than she remembered. She vaguely recognized a figure through the haze, flipping a gun and shooting her thrice more in the stomach. She felt like crying, or yelling, but couldn't. The world was spinning too much, fading in and out.

Through Coulson yelling for help, more shots firing, and purple flashes of light, she barely noticed a voice whisper, "You're safe" before her mind finally gave up and the world vanished into a void of black and red.


	2. The Writing on the Wall

Coulson had raced behind the corner once the shots had stopped, shooting from behind the wall. Four more shots were fired, and then silence. Coulson shot more bullets at Hydra, until he heard their retreating footsteps, when he turned the corner and…

Saw Skye's body, lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing. "Oh god, Skye…" rage and grief boiled at the same time, but his training pushed it all down as May came around the corner too. "May!" he called, "Get Simmons, or a stretcher, or something!"

May's eyes widened and ran off. Coulson pushed against the wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, when his ears picked up a crackling sound. Like electricity. Before he could react, he was pushed back, upside down, and found himself five feet away from Skye. A sharp bubble of purple and black sparks had formed around her, but through the haze, he could see another man in ragged clothes, picking her body up. Coulson scrambled to his feet, but they had vanished before he could blink.

May rounded the corner again. "Coulson, there's nothing—where is she?"

Coulson turned, panting, eyes wild. "Gone."

* * *

"Wait, so…he t _eleported_ away?" Mack looked from Coulson to May. "And you're sure that's what happened. Not some magic freaky light show?"

Coulson shook his head. "No. He was a gifted, definitely. And…I think I imagined it, but it looked like he had no eyes."

Hunter coughed. "No eyes? What's that supposed to mean? Like, empty sockets or just skin. Because empty sockets are cool and all, but a little too creepy for my taste, if you get what I'm saying."

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Hunter."

"Are you having a go at me now?"

"I'm saying you should be more concentrated on looking for Skye than finding out if he had any eyes or not."

Hunter threw his hands up in exasperation. "I _am!_ And he didn't have eyes, we said that. I'm just trying to figure out what he looked like so we can find him. That's called being _helpful_ , Bob."

"Helpful's _one_ word for it."

Coulson felt a tap on his shoulder before he could respond, and quietly let May pull him aside. "I checked the index. No gifteds with any kind of teleportation. So he's either unregistered or turned down." May lowered her voice. "Anything in Fury's toolbox?"

Coulson shook his head. "That's the first thing I checked, but it was a shot in the dark. The question that bothers me is how he knew Skye was there. If Hydra has unregistered gifteds working for them, that's a whole new set of problems. If not…then _why_ did he take her?"

"—um, sir—" Fitz's voice sounded from behind him.

"Yes?"

Fitz wrung his hands nervously, looking anxious. "Um, Skye, she—she—" he rubbed his neck. "Skye told me—no…word, what's the word…" Fitz stared at Coulson with pleading eyes for a second, and then…something else happened. Some sort of switch just clicked in Fitz's brain, and he stiffened, muttering, "never mind." before scattering.

Coulson sighed "It's hard to tell whether he's getting better or worse with Simmons back, although I'm afraid it's the latter. But still, I don't want him thinking he's not a valuable member to this team. "

May opened her mouth to respond, but the door opened, and Bobbi stepped in. "Coulson, we got the CCTV in the building. It looks like she was headed towards the roof, but was cut off by some Hydra agents who shot her. After that…well, I really think you should come look. It's a little…confusing."

Coulson nodded, taking the tablet and rewinding the footage. Through the scratchy cameras, he could see Skye coming around a corner, hiding as bullets rained down on her, before jumping out. He winced as he saw her body crumple to the floor, before the agent came up to her, flipping his gun a shooting her three times more in the stomach for good measure. The two agents conversed, before racing off under Coulson's attack. And then he saw himself, rushing over from behind the same corner, yelling to May for help. Then…the footage became distorted for a second as a flash of light enveloped the hallway. A bubble of energy formed around Skye, pushing Coulson back. And inside…a man stood there, picking up Skye. He looked up at the camera, and Coulson felt a jolt as his memories were confirmed.

The man's face had no eyes, just skin where they should be. As he watched his figure scramble up, another flash of light stopped the footage, and they blinked out of existence. Coulson put the tablet down, rewinding to the flashes of light, stopping at the point where the man looked at the camera. "Run scans for him. No one is a ghost. He'd have to leave _some_ kind of trace. In the meanwhile, you and Mack search Skye's bunk and computer for anything that might clue us in. In the meanwhile, I'd like to finish my conversation with May."

Bobbi nodded and left, and Coulson turned to May's raised eyebrow. "Is it time?"

Coulson nodded, grabbing the knife from his desk drawer, his eyes scanning the blank wall in front of him, barely noticing the sound of clicking from May's camera as his hands took over, carving symbols he had yet to discover.

 **.**


	3. The Things We Bury

Skye's eyes blinked open to the sound of footsteps She felt shaky, as if just waking up from one of those dreams that including falling down a cliff, unconscious but fully aware. Her arms and legs were tired, but her mind was wide awake. Time: 5:56, according to the clock on the wall. Date: Unknown. Location: Unknown. Friend or Foe: Unknown.

That was a lot of unknowns for a person who knows a lot. Taking a shuddering breath, Skye took a look at her surroundings. She was in bed, with white velvet sheets. The walls had new but sloppily applied paint, and were already peeling. There was one window, but didn't show much except a stunning view mountains and trees. Didn't look like much of a civilization…although it didn't feel very lonely. One door, large and wooden. It didn't feel like a prison…more like a waiting room.

Skye sat up quickly as the door handle turned. She still felt shaky, but now with a drop of curiosity mixed in. It swung open, and a standing there was a man, maybe 28, with blonde hair, ragged clothes, and blue eyes. He smiled. "I'm Lincoln. Care to chat for a bit?"

(A/N HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE MITCHELL (Lincoln) YES I LOVE STATICSHOCK I mentioned that, right? Well, I'm updating today and tomorrow, because it's Luke Mitchell's birthday today, and Chloe Bennet's (If you don't know who that is, then SHAME ON YOU! STOP READING THIS NOW AND LOOK IT UP) tomorrow. It's true. One day apart, Staticshock is meant to be!)

"I'm here to answer any questions you have. We had to keep you sedated for you to heal, but the effects of the medicine should wear off in less than an hour. Even so, don't try anything too crazy. There was a lot of internal bleeding, so I'd be careful. Also, If you're feeling kind of shaky, dizzy, sore, or have the urge to rip off my head, that's normal, but the last one doesn't really have much to do with the medicine." Lincoln motioned for her to sit down on a bench.

Skye sighed and sat down next to him. They were in a huge building, with people passing in and out. "Questions, huh? What does Hydra want with me?"

Lincoln shook his head. "Hydra? No. S.H. .D., Hydra, that's not our war. We try and stay as far away from that stuff as possible."

"We?"

Lincoln bit his lip. " "I keep forgetting you're new to this. I also wish I could tell you where we are, but I don't really know. Ask anyone else, they don't know either. Only Gordon does, although I think it's China. As for why everyone else is here…ok. Imagine a thousand year's worth of evolution taking place instantaneously. That's what happens after the mist. I'm a transitioner. I treat people after they pass through terrigenissis. This place is full of people waiting to be chosen…or have already been. We're Inhumans. We all can become something more. Everyone here does. Me too."

"What can you do?" Skye's tone was tinged with curiosity, gasping as Lincoln grabbed her hands and pins and needles spread up her body. Tiny little shocks running up her arms, down her legs, consuming the air in her lungs and replacing it with electricity, from head to toe. It had been what felt like forever, when she fell back to the ground, not even realizing she had been hovering.

"Wow." she breathed.

"When I emerged from terrigenisiss, every cell in my body had a different electrical charge. I felt like I was burning up from the inside, but eventually I learned to control it, and eventually…pass it on to someone else." Lincoln gazed right into her eyes. It was bliss, until…

Skye broke away. "How long?"

"Have you been here?"

"Until I can go?" Skye looked out at the mountainside while Lincoln laughed. "My friends…something bad happened. I need to go back. They're in danger."

Lincoln looked straight into her eyes. " _You're_ the one that's in danger, Skye. Remember? You're being hunted."

Skye stood up, running a hand through her hair. "I need to send a message to them somehow. Can I do that?"

Lincoln shook his head. "I wish I could say yes, but there's no communication with the outside world except for Gordon. You'll have to ask him once he gets back. He's the only way in or out. It keeps us secret and safe from the outside world."

"Or prisoner."

"You're not very trusting, are you? Well, it's not a bad place, you know. The night life's a little lacking, but—"

Skye sensed her chance. "So you live here?"

"No one lives here. Not permanently. It's more like..like a way station. Some people come here when they need a safe place to stay, and I come here when I'm needed. I'm actually from Cincinnati, trying to finish med school. You ever gone to college?"

Skye saw the shift in Lincoln's voice, and found herself caught off guard by the loaded question. Either she answered yes, and he asked where, or she answered no, and he'd most likely nod it off and silently know the answer.

"No, it's not my thing. I've kind of been on the run my whole life, never really got to go to college."

"Why? I mean, you're so smart." Lincoln lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "I've seen what you can do. We've wondered for a while, but we weren't sure until we saw them. It's…insane. Skye, you're a genius. Not like a 'good idea' genius, like a certified genius."

Skye had figured Lincoln had known the answer, but his response had disarmed her. "Cut to the chase, Lincoln. What do you want me for?

Lincoln shook his head, smiling slightly. "You make it sound like we kidnapped you, held you hostage. We're not bad guys here. When Gordon found you, you were _dying,_ Skye. Bleeding to death. He took you here, to heal you. You _are_ Inhuman, after all, so you deserve a place here, like the rest of us."

 _Inhuman…_ Skye's heart missed a beat as the world tumbled, and was vaguely aware Lincoln grabbed her arm. "Skye? Are you okay?" His voice sounded so far away, as from the end of a tunnel. No. Not okay. Definitely not.

"I need some air." she managed, before racing outside, Lincoln hot on her heels, shouting something. Skye raced behind a pillar and slid down against the wall, breathing shakily. No. This was wrong. Whatever source he had, it was wrong…it was just him messing with her.

Lincoln appeared next to her and sat down. "Hey." he started, placing one hand on Skye's knee. It shocked her, and she pulled back, pushed into reality once more. "Sorry for that bombshell. It's ok. It's not a bad thing. Everything is gonna be ok, Skye. Don't worry."

Maybe it was just something he was trained to say in transitioner school, but his reassuring voice and soft voice calmed her down. She didn't even realize she had been clutching his hand until he squeezed it gently. "I'm not Inhuman." Skye mumbled, more to herself. "I can't do anything."

Lincoln shook his head. "You have the potential, and that's all that matters. In the meantime, you're amazing at so many things. And I don't mean just that crazy mind of yours. You're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, for god's sake."

"But…you're saying I'm an alien with…superpowers?" the words sounded off on her own tongue.

Lincoln smiled slightly. "I get it, it's a lot to take in, but don't worry. You haven't changed inside at all. You're still Skye. One day, you just might become something more."

Skye nodded, her mind spinning. It was a stupid, not rational thing, but it scared her to death. She _was_ the same…so why did it feel like her skin was crawling all over? Accepting Lincoln's hand, Skye stood up. "One more thing…who runs this place?"

"Jaiying. She'd be there, and normally, she meets everyone who comes by, but you were kind of a special case…what with the 'being shot in the stomach four times' situation. We weren't sure that Gordon got you here in time. "

"Can I talk to her?"

Lincoln sucked in a breath. "I-I mean, if she's not busy, but…Jaiying is the kind of person who needs to want to talk to _you_ , not the other way around. I'll knock if you really want me too, but I'm not promising anything."

Skye was oddly nervous as Lincoln took a deep breath and pressed his ear to the door to make sure she wasn't busy. Skye copied him. She could hear arguing, between a young woman, and a man whose voice…sounded oddly familiar. "Is that Gordon?" she whispered to Lincoln, whose brow was creased. He shook his head, but didn't do anything more.

"Jaiying, why should we send her back? She's among her own people…and us."

"Remember how you felt when S.H.I.E.L.D. came? She misses them. Skye can live wherever she wants."

Skye covered her mouth, and looked at Lincoln, who was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Don't call her Skye."

"Afterlife isn't a place to live. You know that. One day, you'll have to leave too."

A murmur, a slam on the table. "All right…alright, let's all keep our heads about us…"

Lincoln jerked his head away from the door, staring at Skye for a moment before taking a breath and knocking on the door. The voices fell silent, and Skye could hear footsteps before the door swung open. A chinese woman stood in the doorway, a smile on her face. "Lincoln, how are you? Skye, I didn't meet you, but I'm Jaiying, I was just speaking with Cal. Come on in."

Hey guys,

As PROOF that StaticShock is meant to be, I am updating TWO days in a row. One chapter on Luke Mitchell's (Lincoln's) birthday, April 17, and one on Chloe Bennet's (Skye/Daisy/Quake's) birthday, April 18. Come ON people. One day apart, probably not even 24 hours! Maybe not the same year, but technically the same day! MEANT. TO. BE.


	4. Ye Who Enter Here

**Hey guys,**

 **A little look into Fitz's mind, because he is a cinnamon roll.**

 **Yes, that is my only explanation.**

 **Btw this is NOT Fitskye shipping. Fitskye, in my personal opinion, is worse than shipping Yoda and Dumbledore. (I've seen it. I have. It's on my 'why are these ships' list. Good lord, help us.)**

 **PLEASE REVIEW GUYS PLEASE PLEASE IT REALLY HELPS You have NO idea how much reviewing helps the process!**

 **And, a** **s PROOF that StaticShock is meant to be, I am updating TWO days in a row. One chapter on Luke Mitchell's (Lincoln's) birthday, April 17, and one on Chloe Bennet's (Skye/Daisy/Quake's) birthday, April 18. Come ON people. One day apart, probably not even 24 hours! Maybe not the same year, but technically the same day! MEANT. TO. BE.**

* * *

Fitz couldn't believe that he hadn't told Coulson. He also couldn't believe that he almost had. Actually, he could, because, because he knew what it felt like. He knew what it felt like to be different, to have _everyone_ treat you like a bomb that might explode, and he knew that Skye (A/N HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE BENNET! I spent the whole day listening to her songs!) wouldn't want that. No one should want that, ever. To have the ones closest to you change themselves just because you did too. Change to help _you_ , they said.

They were wrong.

Nothing could help more than being normal again.

Everyone outside talked behind his back, he knew it. They talked about how he was crazy. How he wouldn't get better. And even how sorry they felt. But the worst thing was that they didn't have the decency to tell him. They put up a fake smile and told him it was all right, like he was some frightened child afraid of the dark. But even still, the worries and doubts still crawled into his mind, invading his innermost ideas with a chorus of _what ifs_ and _because my head isn't right._ And he could see it in their heads, too, wondering _what if he doesn't get better_ and _what if his idea doesn't work because his head isn't right._ The worst of them all was Jemma. She was nothing like he remembered. Not at all accepting, not knowing what was in his head. She couldn't, but she should.

The old Jemma Simmons could read his mind.

There were days when he wondered if he still loved her. If the passion inside him still burned fiercely. He checked, and it did. The problem was that Jemma didn't have that passion, and probably never did or would. At least for him. This realization crushed him every day, and he couldn't help but feel hopeless. He felt like Sisyphus, a mortal in the Greek myths who had cheated death, and was forever forced to push a rock up a hill. As soon as it reached the top, it fell back down to the bottom, and if he stopped he was whipped by demons.

Fitz felt just like Sisyphus, cheating death, pushing himself through a obstacle course he set out for himself. Getting whipped every time he stopped and forced himself to look into Jemma's eyes. Or Tantalus, chained to the ground and surrounded by rich fruit and cool water, but unable to touch any of it and spent eternity in agonizing hunger. But he wasn't Sisyphus, nor Tantalus. He was just another, another with an unfinished story.

He was Leopold Fitz.

He was so much worse.

* * *

Ideas were an odd thing to Fitz. They always bubbled on the surface on his mind, but he could rarely reach them. The worst part was forgetting. He couldn't stand it when they left, turning the whack-a-mole in his mind into just a table with empty holes. Holes that longed to be filled, through trials or comfort. Most of his thoughts were variations of _what if_ , followed by _I had_ , followed by whatever he had done wrong.

At first, Fitz couldn't imagine why Skye would tell him. He had thought he was just a pity boy, but then he had realized that Skye had known that. She had told him because _she knew what it was like to be different_. And that meant the world. It was very confusing, to know that no one would ever know how he felt, or what he was thinking, but at the same time…someone else felt the same way? Was that even possible? To have another person long to be normal again, not different?

But Skye's different was a good different.

Was his?

 _They don't know what it's like to be different_. he realized, _if only they could understand._

Dear god, if only.

* * *

Fitz had been examining Skye's majors for the past hour, when the sound of the doors opening echoed through the lab. Fitz panicked slightly as Coulson walked in. He scattered the papers onto the floor, giving himself an excuse to flip them over and gather them up. He watched from under the table as Coulson's black shoes slowly walked themselves over to his desk. "Hey, Fitz. What's all this?"

Fitz shook his head. "Um, no, I'll clean it up. My mess."

"May found a lead on where Skye might be. I'm going to need you to work with Simmons. Is that going to be a problem? I know the two of you aren't exactly on good terms, although I hope you'll work that out." Coulson bent down and started helping Fitz with the spilled papers. "What is this?"

"Something I've…um…been working on." Fitz mumbled, snatching the paper from Coulson. "Actually…it's kind of private, sir. For a friend. You—you don't know them." Fitz hastily stacked the papers and put them safely at the edge of his desk.

"Is that Skye's laptop?"

"What?" Fitz spun around, his eyes fixing on Skye's laptop, the bottom removed, revealing the circuits inside where the paper used to be. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm, uh, working on seeing if there's any—any…information. Yes. Yes. Information. Anything hidden—I mean, helpful, or hidden, we could—could use," he stammered, mentally kicking himself for doing so.

"Any luck with that?" Coulson pressed, turning away slightly, and Fitz gritted his teeth. He knew Coulson couldn't stand to look at him without feeling sorry, and the worst part was that he was used to it. From everyone.

"No…sir. Skye's computer has…um…an en—enc—" Fitz tapped the surface, racking his brain. "enc—ent—" He suddenly turned around and slammed the table in frustration, collapsing into his chair, his face red. _Encryption. Say it bloody RIGHT, Fitz!_ Fitz took a breath. "Enc—en…no!" Fitz swept his hand across the desk, hating the stupid murky fog that clouded his mind, a vast swamp that he drowned in every time he tried to talk, every time he tried…anything. Anytime he thought of something, it sank into the boggy muck and burned below the surface. When he recovered it, if he recovered anything at all, it was a pile of ashes, a pile of slivers that reminded him he was just broken machine, left to rust in the swamp.

"Fitz. Fitz, calm down." Fitz felt a hand on his shoulder, and he used it as his anchor to pull back to reality. He emerged, breathing hard. "I just hate how I can't—" Fitz's eyes widened. "Wait—sir!" He lunged for the paper Coulson had picked up, but it was too late. Fitz's went completely still, his heart racing as Coulson stared at the mess of quizzes and work that was collected around him, and then the one in his hand, before staring at Fitz, dazed, who was looking at his feet sheepishly, waiting for an explosion.

But it never came.

Instead, Coulson set the paper down and looked at Fitz, his expression hardened. "How long did you know about this?" he asked, in a voice that wasn't exactly angry, or hurt, or calm, but more like on the tipping precipice of all three.

"Since yesterday," Fitz mumbled. "I tried to tell you, but…but I couldn't. I wish I did, but I couldn't. Do you understand? No, no of course not." he turned away and sat back down, fiddling with some extra scraps of metal. "Skye understood." he was talking to himself now, instead of Coulson. Coulson didn't get what it was like to be different. What it was like to suddenly change, to suddenly lose something he had before, and he doubted he ever would.*

Coulson sat next to him (Fitz cringed; that was Jemma's place.) and examined the papers more closely. He was like that for two minutes, which, for Coulson, was an extraordinarily long time. Finally, he took a breath, and set everything down, looking Fitz in the eye. "We have to find her." His voice was steady, which only made Fitz feel more nervous, even though he agreed. Because whoever took Skye, and whatever they did, he was going to make them pay.

* * *

 ***I chose Coulson and Skye for this, actually, because Coulson _does_ lose his hand, and also Skye changes into the Quake we know and love :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE BENNET YES YES YES YES NEW NEW NEW NEW EPISODE TODAY! It's apparently supposed to be about Fitz's betrayal (I read that on the wiki…19 is going to be about AIDA's master plan, whatever it is…)**

 **Ok so...what do you think is going to happen?**


	5. What They Become

**Go suys (argh I can't spell) So guys, SO SORRY I didn't update soon, I meant to update on the 30, but other things *cough cough unfinished school project I really should have finished earlier ma bad* came up. Sorry, this is kind of a filler, but…**

 **Disclaimer: Marvel owns all. I don't. (*sigh* maybe in the Framework I do. If so, SIGN ME UP, AIDA!)**

* * *

Skye kept thinking Jaiying had wanted her to catch on to something she was saying, but Skye had been kicking herself the whole time, because Cal had just…seemed… _familiar_. Familiar wasn't exactly the right word, though. More like an inkling of something she used to sort of remember. She had tried over and over to put his face into her memories. Maybe a technician at one of her foster homes, or something? Even a man she'd just seen on CCTV footage in Hong Kong. She didn't even know _why_ she was trying to remember him, or even if she wanted to.

Cal was a little…unstable. The whole time, he had been looking at her, which she found creepy, and his hands had been twitching and scraping into the armrests of his chair. If that wasn't it, he always seemed to be…restraining himself. From what, she didn't know, and was a little too afraid to guess.

Lincoln had told her that Cal wasn't Inhuman, but when she pressed and asked why he was here, Lincoln realized he had a sudden urge to go have lunch. She tried to forget, but she couldn't. The remembrance was always there, nagging in the back of her mind, dragging her down whenever she retreated there. It was so stupid, because she was _sure_ she hadn't seen Cal at a foster home, or even at her time with S.H.I.E.L.D., but his presence was familiar. She hadn't seen him since the meeting, and didn't even know if he was allowed to walk around Afterlife.

"Skye. Skye, are you with me?"

Skye jumped, looking around, ignoring the chill that crept down her spine. Coulson had said those very same words to her, and she expected to feel an unfamiliarity, like a stranger, but she didn't. It wasn't what she felt when Coulson said them either. More like something she could get used to. Lincoln was looking at her, his eyes evaluating and concerned. Skye nodded, absentmindedly running a hand through her ponytail. Lincoln laughed, and although goosebumps covered her arms, she reassured Lincoln with another nod before her mind returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., and her gaze to the horizon.

"What are you so worried about?" Lincoln's voice drifted through her ear, and nearly went out the other but Skye was able to grasp it.

"Worried? I'm not worried." she murmured.

"You know I can tell, right?" his eyes sparkled under a mischievous grin. "You twirl your hair when you're thinking about something you don't want to think about. Right now, I'm guessing that's S.H.I.E.L.D., Cal, or both." Lincoln laughed as Skye hastily untangled her fingers, taking a breath.

"Cal," she admitted, "Where is he?"

"Why are you so interested in Cal? Do you know him or something?"

Skye shook her head. "Um…no. I just want to talk to him about, uh,—"

Lincoln nodded. To any normal person, nothing would have changed, but Skye saw him relax, and her heart sped up. "That's ok then, but I don't know where he is. He doesn't normally hang out in public, should I…say." he faltered, his eyes meeting Skye's, and for a moment they just sat there, staring. Skye's heart was suddenly racing faster than it should have, but not for the same reason. She wanted to tell Lincoln she wanted to stay like this forever, but her breath caught in her throat. (A/N: INSERT UH-OH HERE) She wanted to trust those eyes with her life, wanted to believe every word he said, but couldn't. Not at the moment. Skye knew he wasn't Hydra, but she couldn't risk it. Not while Ward was still in their basement, a reminder of everything she had done wrong. Skye wrenched herself away, clearing her throat, and Lincoln hastily turned to look at the painting behind them, embarrassed and turning a shade of scarlet. Skye subconsciously copied him, a chill spreading through her body.

"I'll…just…um…see if I can find him," she breathed, before scrambling away.

* * *

For someone who certainly makes an impression, Cal was notoriously difficult to find. It wasn't like she could knock on every door and eventually find who she was looking for. Even if she had gone knocking, Skye realized he would be somewhere a little more…private. Lincoln had given her the impression Cal wasn't exactly welcome, and that he would want to stay somewhere more secluded. She quickly gave up and started thinking.

For Skye, being alone wasn't agony, exactly. Most of the time, Skye was busy, and she kept herself busy for a reason. Her head was a raging sea of solitaire, and it was all she could do not to drown when she had nothing to do. The vast ocean even crashed its waves over her dreams, making her wake up more then once doused in cold sweat, shaking, needing to turn on a light to stop the walls from closing in. If anyone was offered a 206 IQ and the best brain they could wish for, they would say yes, of course. What they didn't know was the consequences that came with it. The minutes to hours, and hours to minutes. The ability to have your head filled with ideas, but in the blink of an eye, cloud over with worries and doubts. And for Skye, where worries and doubts were an everyday part of her life, her racing thoughts and wild theories sometimes left her staring into space at night, wondering about the probability that everyone she knew would be dead before morning. That's what _really_ terrified her, knowing that anyone on her team could suddenly be shot, or turn to Hydra. Of course, though, she knew them.

Did she really?

She was sure Coulson was S.H.I.E.L.D., and Fitz and Simmons, too. Not to mention Mack, Bobbi, Trip, Hunter…

The problem was that not too long ago, she would have put Ward on that list too.

Ward's constant boasting of knowing Skye's father had dug a little too deep. She suspected he was bluffing, but something was a little too real about his air of confidence and the way he persisted. She tried to ignore his pleading eyes, knowing full well that they had been filled with cruel amusement when he had pushed Fitz and Simmons into the ocean. In some crazy, twisted aspect, Skye had realized, Ward was right. She shouldn't have trusted anyone, and especially not him. But she had.

Snapping back into reality, Skye realized she had brought herself to an edge with a magnificent view, clouds speckled over the horizon, the mountains glowing under the setting sun. The sky was lit up and dark at the same time, the deep shades of red and yellow contrasting with the light mauve clouds. It was breathtaking, and for a minute Skye forgot about everything, and sat down near the edge, not even caring about the drop below. The light breeze ruffled the grass and spread the dew everywhere, over her hands, the leaves, the wind.

Quiet rustling interrupted Skye's trance, and she turned to see Cal walking away. She hadn't even realized he had been next to her, and wanted to stand up and run after him, but something else caught her eye. A flash of yellow, abandoned in the grass. It was a flower.

A daisy.

* * *

 **So BTW I've basically been free styling this whole story, (which isn't something I normally do) and I'd REALLY like your inputs and predictions because they might just come true. (But DUH, I'll stick to what's on my profile, which is the closest thing I have to a storyboard)**

 **So review if** _you like it,_ **if** _you have a prediction,_ **or if** _you love the Flash,_ **because MAN I love that guy. You run, Barry, run! (Don't make me EVER choose between Marvel and DC. I will throw a Harry Potter quote in your face and run away screaming FitzSimmons 4 life, slowly trying not to go insane.)Yeah, putting that out there, can't wait for the reviews! :P .**


	6. Who You Really Are

**Jeeeeez louezzz its been a long time. How's everyone's summer?**

* * *

Agent Melinda May had known Phil Coulson for a very long time. It didn't really matter the exact number of years, just that it was long enough to know when he was hiding something. A little twitch of the hand she dismissed to another episode of writing, but it was other things that caught her attention. The way his eyes steeled and softened whenever Skye was mentioned. The way his fingers bounced up and down, before curling into fists. And most of all, the way he returned to his office for hours at a time, not letting anyone in at all. May had caught a glimpse inside, and had found him staring at a bundle of papers intently, as if expecting them to reveal something they hadn't the past hundred times.

This was what worried her. Coulson had been distant, yes, but these papers were something else entirely. Her first hypothesis had been disproven immediately, that they were some more unanswered questions about TAHITI, and so had her second one, that he was preventing the team the grief of knowing that Skye had died somehow. But no, everything from TAHITI was out, and Skye was still alive and well according to him (and she could tell if he lied). So the real mystery was what made him lock eyes with Fitz before the two of them hurried away to the lab and talked in low voices.

May had her orders. She followed them, and she wanted to say it was good enough. It wasn't. Not anymore. Not when May knew he was losing control. She saw it in his eyes, in his voice, and in the stray carvings in his desk that he tried hastily to cover up, his face hardening into a guarded expression all too much like the one she used. She doubted the team didn't notice anything out-of-order. Well, any _more_ out-of-order.

The clock on the wall suddenly ticked loudly. Actually, quietly, but May caught the sound in the dead silence and looked up. 1:39 am. She sighed, gazing around the dark kitchen. There were times when the silence of the base was comforting, especially knowing that though barely a sound reached her ears, people still dwelled in their rooms, whether it was under soft light or piercing darkness. Very rarely did anyone else's footsteps join hers, and sometimes they just sat on a chair without noticing a second figure. A second figure always watching, always waiting, always wondering if the sun would rise for everyone there the next day.

And May wondered. She did. She wondered every day if she would wake up and everyone would be gone. And as much as they thought she didn't need them, didn't want them—as much as _she_ thought that…she did. And the best way to stop thinking she'd wake up to them in the hands of Hydra, Ward, cruel amusement in his eyes, staring at her as he slowly, one-by-one shot Coulson…then Fitz…Simmons…Skye…Mack…Hunter…Bobbi…and Andrew….well, the best way to stop the dreams was not to dream at all.

In the times when she let her guard down, her dreams twisted and clawed into nightmares. Sometimes he shot them, sometimes he did worse. Tortured them till they were nothing put a pile of flesh and bones begging to stay alive. Sometimes everyone turned out to be Hydra and Coulson's voice echoed; "Let the girl go."

"May! How—how long have you, um…"

May turned, hearing Coulson behind her, preparing to question him. But her surprise turned to shock as a mop of curly brown hair and blue eyes stood in the kitchen.

Fitz took a breath. "That's…ok. I guess. I just…couldn't sleep. Had some..erm…things to—to…well…never mind."

May looked at Fitz, head down, wringing his hands nervously, and felt a sudden burst of authority. "What have you and Coulson been working on in the lab?" Fitz looked up, stumbling over his words.

"Um…nothing important. Nothing. Really. Just—just samples." Fitz opened the fridge and brought out a sandwich, keeping one eye on May.

"Of what?"

"Some...of the bio tests from the team. It's…complicated. Would take too long to explain."

"I have time."

Fitz shook his head. "Well, I—I would, but…" he paused, his eyes glancing around the room. "Am…tired. I'm tired. I'll just go back to my bunk, then, right."

May grabbed his arm as he headed off with a sandwich. "Does this have anything to do with the papers I saw Coulson with?"

Fitz stopped. "Pawpaws?" he asked, mouth full of mozzarella. He swallowed. "Did you…um…" he motioned with his hand. "Did you see. Any of them." Shaking his head, Fitz took another shaky breath. "It..um…shouldn't matter. I'll just go back now." May raised her chin, listening to Fitz's footsteps hastily residing, his figure slipping back in the darkness.

* * *

Coulson was nowhere to be found. May had checked everywhere, ranging from his office, to the lab, to the kitchen. The more places she looked, the more she realized it wasn't just _Coulson_ who was missing, but Fitz too. She had run into Simmons, but when she'd mentioned him Simmons just turned away, mumbling something indistinct. She couldn't find Bobbi either, which was odd. Hunter was looking for her too, but his version of looking was stealing looks away from the television every couple of minutes, or glancing around between swigs of beer. Mack was missing as well, which was even _more_ of a mystery. Unlike Bobbi, Fitz, and Coulson, Mack didn't have a reason to want to be alone.

She was just walking back to the shooting range to practice when a flash of light caught her eye as she passed the bunks. May turned, narrowing her eyes and set her foot down lightly so not to be heard. The door to Skye's bunk was opened, by less than a half-inch, but still open. Light crept under the cracks of the door, brightening up the floor. May slipped her fingers between the wall and the door, sliding it open.

The wind caused a rustle of papers to fly off the bed and the two people inside hastily tried to gather them up. Fitz was the first to see her, and he tapped Coulson on the shoulder. He turned, clearing his throat and standing up. "May."

"What's this?" May couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Coulson looked dead serious. "May, where's Mack?"

The question startled her. "That's not what I meant. What are-"

Fitz pulled out a replica of Lola, which she recognized. The one Mack had given him. May smirked. "Does it fly?"

Coulson shook his head. "Sadly, no. But it _is_ something else besides a nice-looking paperweight. I know Lola like the back of my hand, and _that,"_ he motioned to a component under the hood, "is not supposed to be there. I was having Fitz check it out in a secluded place. No one...no one really comes in here, so…"

"I haven't seen Mack. Can't seem to find Bobbi, either."

Coulson's expression hardened. "Oh my god. Fitz, take the car and get it to the lab. I'll confront Mack, and May, guard my office. It's a scanner. He's looking for the toolbox."

Fitz looked confused and shocked at the same time. "W-what toolbox?" he stammered, but she had already left.

* * *

May could see movement behind the office door. She burst through, aiming her gun at Bobbi. The blonde-haired woman put her hands up, setting Fury's toolbox on the desk. May raised an eyebrow, and Bobbi put down her baton as well.

Bobbi's voice wasn't shaky or scared, more like she was trying to be as convincing as possible. "May, put that away. There's no need-"

May aimed her gun at the ceiling, firing a warning shot that echoed around the small room before setting the barrel back on Bobbi, the dust from the first shot making her eyesight tinted brown.

"You better give me one good reason not to shoot you _right now_ , or the next one goes through your skull." May snarled. She could hear more gunshots and voices yelling outside, but didn't let her eyes go off of her target.

"Listen. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. I do, I promise. But you don't. What Coulson is doing here, that's not S.H.I.E.L.D. I-"

May smirked. "Try again."

Bobbi shook her head. "You have to agree, Coulson's done some shady stuff. But we've been researching everything he's done, and there's stuff here that you wouldn't believe. Stacks and stacks-"

Something pulled in May's gut and she lowered her gun slightly. "And the papers?"

Bobbi put her hands down. "Papers? We haven't-"

"The ones he and Fitz have been looking over them. Maybe fifteen in all? He's been obsessing over them."

She saw Bobbi eyeing her lowered gun, and realized what would happen a half-second too late.

In a blur of light, Bobbi whipped a second baton out of her jacket swiping at May and knocking the gun to the floor. May bent backwards, using her foot to deliver a painful kick in the kidneys to Bobbi. She dodged with a flip, but May chopped her knee as she landed, and curled her fingers around Bobbi's ankle so she got a hold. Bobbi gasped in pain, but somehow used the second of imbalance to push May against the wall. May used to momentum to flip upright, kicking Bobbi in the chest.

May's eyes met Bobbi's, and both women went for the pistol on the floor. Halfway through the race, Bobbi jumped up, grabbed the toolbox off the desk, and started sprinting away. May snatched the pistol, shooting wildly, but it was too late. Bobbi crashed through the glass window, sending clear shards over the floor. More gunshots echoed in the hall, and then silence. May waited, not daring to breathe.

Either there were six agents knocked out in the hallway, or Bobbi Morse was dead.

* * *

Hey guys! Which FRICKING AMAZING show did I reference in this chapter? If you don't get this I will be disappointed. Shout-out to anyone who gets it right! Review if **you have a prediction, know which show,** or **love the Flash.**


	7. Aftershocks

**So, has anyone seen Groundhog Day the musical? DEAR GOD it's so amazing and funny and CANCELED...D:...right now cherishing my stagedoor playbill...special green Andy Karl sharpie….yah I'm a total Broadway buff.**

* * *

"I told you-"

"I know what you told me, Cal"

"And I _won't_ -"

"This isn't _favorites_ , it's rationality. I don't have an endless supply."

"But this is about Daisy," Cal begged, "About protection."

"This _is_ protection. She's had _no_ preparation at all! We are protecting her from a completely different world she's never seen."

"You should have thought of that before bringing her."

The muffled voices on the other side of Jiaying's door went silent. Skye held her breath, the cold wood now warm from her cheek. She was prepared to jump away from the door at any moment, but suddenly there was a scrape from inside the room, as if a chair had been thrust away.

"Sit back down, Cal. There's no reason to get upset."

"No reason? No reason! Can't I _see_ her? Can't I-can't I talk to my daughter? And what, _you_ can see her and _I_ can't? How is that..."Another pause. "Oh. Oh...I see. You think-"

"I think you're unstable. Do you really think you're in any condition..." Jiaying trailed off coldly, as if they both knew how it would finish.

More silence. Cal cleared his throat, and Skye could picture his forced smile and twitching hands. "...I'll be nice. I won't-I won't-"

"Lose control? Can you be so sure?" There was shuffling, and Jiaying spoke so softly this time that Skye had to strain her ears to hear. "Can you be so sure, Cal."

"Daisy doesn't even know me," he muttered distractedly..

"Is that such a bad thing?" Jiaying whispered, in a way that made Skye feel like ice was crawling up her back again. She was about to bolt, then stopped; Cal had settled into back his chair. "Good," Jiaying murmured, "That's what I thought."

Cal took a deep breath. "All right. All right...but this is _Daisy_. If I can't see her, at least give her one of the crystals. For protection." Jiaying didn't answer audibly, or maybe she didn't answer at all. Skye waited, her hands pressed against the door in some vain attempt to hear the unspoken word. Whatever it was, Cal spoke again. "I'll head back, then."

"What are you doing?"

Skye froze, turning to see Lincoln's face staring at her suspiciously. Without answering, she dragged him towards the populated square, sitting him down on a bench. He pushed her hand off his shoulder angrily, but despite his protests, Skye tightened her jaw. "Lincoln-"

"What were you thinking!"

"I don't _know_!" Skye hissed, "I just heard them talking...who's Daisy, Cal's daughter?"

Lincoln visibly paled. "Daisy? I-I...You shouldn't have-Daisy is, um...Daisy-"

"Whoever she is, I think she might be going through terrigenesis. That's what they-"

Lincoln choked. " _What?_ Daisy- _what_...hold on, Skye, they specifically said Daisy. Both of them said _Daisy_."

"No…" Skye eyed him carefully. "Just Cal. Just Cal called her Daisy. She's his daughter, though, right?"

He slowly nodded, twisting his fingers in his hands. "So, did you get a chance to talk to Cal, by any chance?"

Something had changed in Lincoln's voice. "What's going on?" Skye questioned. Lincoln glanced around towards Jiaying's door, shaking his head. _Not here_. Realization dawned on her; someone, probably Gordon, was around, maybe positioned, listening in the square. She clenched her hands in frustration, but it didn't last long. Maybe it was pure S.H.I.E.L.D. instincts, but she somehow knew someone was approaching. Light feet, most likely a woman, and the only woman she knew was-

"Jiaying?" Lincoln masked gritting his teeth well.

Jiaying nodded. "Lincoln. I'd like to talk to Skye in private for a bit. Could you…" She smiled, and Skye was suddenly very aware of the scars on the older woman's face, and the bump in her pocket, something that looked oddly like a hexagonal knife.

Lincoln cleared his throat, still slightly drained of color, and nodded. "Yeah, Skye, we can continue our conversation later. I have a feeling you might take an interest."

Skye nodded curiously as Lincoln nearly sprinted away, tightening her jaw. She turned her attention back to Jiaying, who smiled thinly. Jiaying gestured with her hand, _walk with me,_ and Skye obliged politely.

The square was crowded, which of course didn't make it near the top of the list for private conversations. Despite that, as they walked, Jiaying talked. "You're getting along with Lincoln well, aren't you?"

Skye briefly wondered where the conversation was going as she felt her face turned red. "Yes, I mean...he's nice."

"You learned he's a transitioner, correct?"

"Yeah. I got the whole Tesla treatment."

Jiaying forced a smile. "He's our newest, actually. Rare. Stopped for a couple of months to get control of his power. You've been his first, ah, _case_ since, and as you can see..."

Skye shook her head irritably. "Actually, I don't. Mind explaining?"

"Not really." Jiaying kept her smile. "You're smart. You can figure it out."

They kept walking in silence, until they reached a grove of trees, sunlight pouring through the light canopy and leaves dappling the ground. There were birds chirping frantically, a sound that seemed to vibrate into whispers as it reached Skye's ears. Jiaying motioned to sit down on a carved stone bench, and brought out the thing Skye had thought was a hexagonal knife.

"Do you know what this is?"

"A crystal. Maybe kyanite, or some kind of cavansite. I'd say it _was_ kyanite, but the little specks would be white instead-"

"I think you know."

Skye hesitated. "I'd...have to guess it's a terrigenesis crystal."

Jiaying nodded. "I'm going to make you an offer, Skye. The idea was put forwards by a colleague of mine, but-"

"Lincoln?"

"But it's all your decision. You can say yes, say no, but consider it carefully. This crystal, if I, or you, choose to break it, will release a mist. That mist activates the extra gene, the one that makes you Inhuman. And..."

This time, Skye didn't ask her to finish her sentence. "You're asking if I want to be a gifted."

Jiaying sat next to Skye on the stone bench. "You, and everyone here, is born with a great potential. All I'm asking is if you want to unlock it. Do you want to truly, fully be what you are meant to be. _Who_ you are meant to be."

Skye's mouth went suddenly dry. There it was, the question she had been asking herself as long as she could remember. It would have been stupid to think it wouldn't have come up in the conversation, but somehow…"What would happen if I said no?"

Jiaying's expression darkened, and she made a snapping motion with her hands. Skye scrambled back, but Jiaying just laughed. "I'm kidding. Nothing would happen, nothing at all. But consider before you reject it. Most people here would kill for this chance, and there's a reason why. I wouldn't be offering if I didn't think you'd benefit from it. But think really hard, Skye. This _will_ change your life."

"I-um-I don't know. I just need time. Just give me some time to think," Skye stammered, holding onto the cool bench. Her hands drumming against the stone, suddenly turned clammy as possibilities entered her head, a list of what ifs...what if she couldn't control whatever she turned into? What if maybe it didn't work? Or...what if she turned into some kind of monster?

Jiaying grasped Skye's shaking hands. "It's okay. Lincoln will help you. This happens to everyone. Even me."

Skye nodded, taking a breath. "Yeah. Um, okay. Tiny little-" she stopped, looking at the older woman. "I hope I won't get, like, electrocuted to death for asking you this, but...how did you get...the scars?"

"It's fine," Jiaying smiled, "I'm used to it. When I was young-well, young _er_ -there was a man that came to our province during the war. He was German, and went under the alias of Werner Reinhardt. A Hydra Nazi, does it get any more stereotypical?" she laughed a bit. "He'd somehow gotten his hands on a Diviner."

"Diviner?" Skye gasped, "You mean the obelisk."

"Yes. He used the obelisk to experiment on people. They held it, and one by one-"

"Turned to stone," Skye murmured, "So how did you survive it?"

"The same way Raina did. I'm Inhuman."

Skye did a double take. "Wait...Raina's Inhuman? That's...you know what? I'm not even surprised."

"The obelisk did what it does with all Inhumans. It glowed, and instead of turning to stone, I survived. He didn't expect it. Reinhardt...locked me up, but before he could do any experiments on me, S.H.I.E.L.D. came. They evacuated the base and let me go, arresting Reinhardt. I'm not sure where they took him afterwards."

"They took him to a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison called The Rat," Skye finished, summing it up so Jiaying would continue. "Forty years later, during the Hydra rebellion, it was one of the places that were attacked and raided. It's not quite as heavily fortified as The Fridge, but it comes pretty close. Hold on, though. Werner Reinhardt died in the initial takeover of the base. A shoot-out."

Jiaying shook her head sadly. "You've done your homework, and that would be impressive, if it was true. He must have escaped somehow...and came back to look for me. By that time, I had a life...I was in love. But Reinhardt returned to my province, with his men and a picture of me, gathering all the elders. I hid, but they found me anyways. Brought me back to the lab."

Skye could barely breathe.

"He was just _pathetic_ in his wheelchair." Jiaying laughed. "It was ironic how much time took its toll on a man who dedicated his life to immortality. But he succeeded, in the worst way possible. He put me on a doctor's table, and cut me open. Took out everything he thought would be useful...and disposed of the rest like garbage." Her voice had turned bitter now, giving Skye the feeling of ice along her spine again. "It took days, but that's when he found me."

"Who?"

"Remember I told you I was in love?"

"Oh."

"It took weeks, but he stitched me back together, bit by bit, and then I was _alive_ again. But I have the painful reminder. They'll never heal." she murmured.

Skye stopped, biting her lip. _I'm sorry_ didn't seem to make the cut.

"And as for Reinhardt, he took a new alias, a new name, and unfortunately one I believe you've heard. _Daniel Whitehall._ " The fire in Jiaying's voice burned the ice crawling down Skye's back, and scorched every syllable of Whitehall's name with rising flames.

"I'll do it," Skye murmured.

Jiaying looked up, her eyes slightly clouded, and a million miles away. "What?"

"Give-give me the crystal." She swallowed, her hands shaking, but somehow it felt right, and as she went along, it only became righter and righter.

Jiaying smiled. "Good. Good. But a couple things. Of course, we can't do it here, and there's the...other matter."

"Well then wh-" Skye's ears popped as the pressure dropped. A flash of light, and a hand clapped over her mouth. She screamed, struggling...exactly what her attacker expected, and in the back of her mind, Skye knew that. He lifted her up, the common thing to do, of course. But what her attacker _didn't_ expect was over a year of training with Melinda May, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top in martial arts.

Skye twisted, hooking her legs around his waist. He let her go, stumbling backwards, and threw strong punch, except Skye could have sat down on the floor and read the entirety of War and Peace by the time it intercepted. She used the back of her hand to divert it, at the same time curling her fingers around his arm, and twisting his thumb backwards. She was vaguely aware of a smashing sound near her, and realization dawned on her all too quickly that the terrigen crystal had just broken. Rock crawled up her legs, her feet frozen to the floor.

It had been a distraction.

Through the haze that clouded her eyes she spotted Jiaying, framed against the red background...they weren't in the forest anymore. "What are you doing?" Skye gasped, coughing as the mist filled her lungs.

The rock continued to climb and solidify while Skye struggled, until all that was left was a small gap where her eyes could just make out the dark coat and light face of Gordon, and next to him Jiaying, who nodded encouragingly. Skye didn't understand what was going on, and felt her heart racing.

And the everything turned to black.

There was no light.

Just pure adrenaline coursing through her veins, and the horrible feeling of claustrophobia...barely enough room to breathe, and of course that tingling under her skin that made it feel like something underneath was alive. Alive and finally awake. Skye gasped for breath as a chunk of rock fell away, just enough to see. And then there came the rumbling from underneath her feet as the shell shattered, and then the pain in her head that took up everything else, occupying her thoughts. And then.

She

was

 _aware._

It was like a whole new sense had been unlocked, like a deaf man suddenly hearing for the first time. Everything around her vibrated, and she saw it-she _felt_ it. The tiniest bit of movement; stone hitting the floor, the winds blowing against the roof. It created shocks in her head, the buzzing nearly unbearable. Every impact created new waves that she could-could feel-no, sense-no, think-no…

Control?

And then it was gone, and Skye had no more strength.

Her knees buckled, and she felt arms catch her before she hit the ground. She stared up at the face of Jiaying, whose brow was creased. Skye felt a sudden burst, maybe of relief, and had the nerve to smile. "What the hell?" she said weakly.

Jiaying still seemed worried. "Are you alright?"

"Not really," she groaned, clutching her head, "What was that about, with Gordon?"

Jiaying glanced back at the eyeless man, who looked almost as concerned` as she did. "Adrenaline. I'm sorry, Skye, but it's essential. For Inhumans who don't know about it and go through the mist, well they're scared enough for it to work. Ironic, really. But when you're ready for it, and you're calm, well...that doesn't work. That's why I assume you'll keep this to yourself?"

"Yeah," she managed. The buzzing was still there, and everything seemed to be on overdrive. Out of the corner of her eye, she registered Gordon flashing out of sight, so it was only her and Jiaying, who knelt down.

"Can you stand?" the older woman murmured, holding out her hand, which Skye gladly took. She turned pale as the world spun and shook her head after a couple seconds. Jiaying sat down on the floor, cross-legged as she recovered.

Skye shut her eyes, slightly nauseous. Her skin itched, and again she had that horrible feeling, like something inside her was alive, and suddenly everything was way too much. Her breathing quickened, and her hands were cupped around her face. It was dark again, but this time she welcomed it, a place to retreat from the irrational...fear. Skye managed to open her eyes and stared at the floor, but she couldn't stop whatever was in her mind.

She remembered what Lincoln had said. Every cell within him had changed. And scientifically, that meant he was a completely different person.

Was she?

What is she was different, and not Skye? Of course she was _Skye_ , but did that mean-

The ground beneath her feet stared to rumble, and Skye scrambled backwards as the roof creaked dangerously. Jiaying was immediately by her side. "Calm down, Skye."

Skye's hands started to shake, a possibility forming that she hadn't considered...or maybe she had.

"Calm _down_."

There was a flash of light, and Gordon appeared with a blonde guy next to him. Lincoln stumbled backwards as another wave of shocks ripped through the building. He started, and rushed towards her, and grabbed her hands. "Skye, look at me. Focus on me," he urged, "On _me_."

Skye stared at him with wide eyes, and instinctively followed his deep breaths. Lincoln swallowed hard as the tremors slowly subsided. He exchanged a look with Jiaying, who nodded, smiling ever so slightly, and Lincoln let out a breath.

"Ok, all right. Good. That was-"

A ringing erupted in Skye's ears, and she doubled over in pain before Lincoln could finish his sentence. Her arms felt like they were on fire. Through the haze of pain, she saw bruises erupting on them like mini volcanoes, and that's exactly what it felt like. The whole world

Turned

S

I

D

E

W

A

Y

S

And then

Black.

* * *

 **Heyyyyo so this chapter is Xtra long 'cause I haven't updated in SO LONG...and i'm STILL getting new faves/follows every week! (Somehow) Aww, thanks so much.**

 **My life in 6 words:**

 ***drops mic***

 ***lands on foot***

 ***facepalms***

 **Preetty pretty please review...you have seriously no idea how much this helps. Predictions, constructive critiscism, maybe what you hope to see in future chapters...it helps SO MUCH :D**


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